§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average amount of time served by(a) male and (b) female prisoners released from prison in England and Wales in each year since 1980.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 26 May 1994]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 14 June 1994:
509WThe Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office,to reply to your recent Question about the average amount of time served by (a) male and (b) female prisoners released from prison in England and Wales in each year since 1980.Information on the average time served in custody is published in successive volumes of "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Tables 3.15, 4.15 and 5.15 of the 1991 edition, Cm 2157), copies of which are available in the Library of the House. I attach a table giving the available information. Information for 1992 will be published in "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1992" which is to be published this month. I regret that incomplete information is available before 1988.
Average time served in custody under sentence1 Young Offenders Males Females Adult Males Adult Females 1983 — — — — 1984 — — — — 1985 — — 6.0 — 1986 — — 6.6 4.2 1987 — — 6.7 4.6 1988 4.1 3.3 7.0 4.8 1989 4.7 3.7 7.5 5.3 1990 5.0 4.8 8.0 5.8 1991 4.7 3.9 8.4 6.2 1 Excluding time served in custody on remand awaiting trial or sentence, which counts towards the discharge of sentence. 2 Excludes discharges following recall after release on licence, non-criminals and persons committed to custody for non-payment of a fine.